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This week on the Olive Health Information System website
The newsletter of the University of Navarra and the IOC dedicated to health
Anti-inflammatory-rich diets and foods containing antioxidant molecules have been proposed as potential complementary approaches of medication to attenuate the growing burden of chronic diseases. In this context, a large number of epidemiological studies have supported the association of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) consumption with low risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. However, the results of clinical trials investigating the association between EVOO consumption and cardiometabolic risk factors such as blood pressure, lipid profile, anthropometric and inflammatory parameters are inconclusive. For that reason, a recent meta-analysis examined the effect of EVOO consumption on anthropometric measurements, cardiometabolic parameters and inflammatory mediators. A total of 33 trials encompassing 2020 participants were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that EVOO consumption was significantly associated with a decrease in insulin and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels. However, no significant effect of EVOO consumption was found on glucose, lipid metabolism markers, blood pressure, anthropometric measurements, or inflammatory markers. The authors conclude that larger well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to understand the beneficial health effects of EVOO on cardiovascular disease and mortality.
It is possible that the beneficial health effects of EVOO are not isolated effects but rather occur as a part of a broader nutritional pattern such as the Mediterranean dietary pattern. In this sense, a prospective cohort study evaluated the relationship between the adherence to the Mediterranean diet during adolescence (10-19 years old) and cardiometabolic markers when participants reached adulthood (6.8 ± 2.9-year follow-up). The analysis showed that a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was inversely associated with adulthood changes in waist circumference, glucose, total cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol. These results provide valuable insights into the potential role of promoting a Mediterranean-style diet from an early age.
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